Le Antique Ballet Photos...............

[Solor]

Here are some glorious old photos -

Dudinskaya, Kitri/Dulcinea in the coda from the "Kingdom of the Dryads" from "Don Quixote" (If anyone knows who the other ballerina is let me know)

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/8892/945686ra.th.jpg

Kschessinskay, not sure what ballet (I have seen a picture of Karsavina as Medora wearing this exact same costume) - Look at how awful her foot looks on pointe! -

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/5831/745214tc.th.jpg

Anna Pavlova, Aspicia in "The Pharaoh's Daughter" (looking radiantly beautiful) -

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/2248/793571hy.th.jpg

Kurgapkina as either Moyna or Zulma in "Giselle" -

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/7058/885746wi.th.jpg

Kschessinskaya, Mlada in "Mlada" -

http://img446.imageshack.us/img446/2340/331b3zf.th.jpg

Virginia Zucchi, Esmeralda in "La Esmeralda" -

http://img446.imageshack.us/img446/1494/926258wg.th.jpg

A nice "JC Penny" Photo of Pierre Vladimirov -

http://img446.imageshack.us/img446/9278/939902mm.th.jpg

Pierina Legnani -

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/7439/202160nt.th.jpg

Olga Preobrajenskaya, what ballet I do not know. Look at those legs! -

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/2148/679091mp.th.jpg

Anna Pavlova, "La Sylphide" or maybe "Giselle" -

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/4465/270441vj.th.jpg

Preobrajenskaya, not sure what ballet

http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/152/481443jb.th.jpg

The following 2 photos - Kschessinkaya, Niriti in "The Talisman" (I have seen this photo many times in different books, etc., and it is always said to be her in either "Paquita" or "The Awakening of Flora") -

1 - http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/7952/6f1b6bw.th.jpg

2 - http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/3994/351b8lz.th.jpg

Spessivtseva, the 'danse du voile' from "La Esmeralda" -

http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/3167/691309do.th.jpg

The following 2 photos - Kschessinskaya, Esmeralda in "La Esmeralda" -

1 - http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/5404/291435kg.th.jpg

2 - http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/6416/282763ww.th.jpg

Anna Pavlova -

http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/7609/679080fp.th.jpg

Dudinskaya, Nikiya in "La Bayadere" -

http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/338/706074wk.th.jpg

Karsavina (I think she is costumed for "Le Sperctre de la Rose") -

http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/8288/678636io.th.jpg

Soloviev, with a ballerina I do not know in "The Kingdom of the Shades " from "La Bayadere"

http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/8809/718333ub.th.jpg

The following 2 photos - Dudinskaya in "Raymonda" (first one with Sergeyev, I am not sure who is Abderakhman in the 2nd one however) -

1 - http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/8885/955035sx.th.jpg

2 - http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/9599/821477va.th.jpg

I have no idea who this ballerina is. Shes obviously dancing Odette. A very lovely photo, and a classically correct attitude as well!

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/2109/972209cy.th.jpg

I think this is Alla Shelest in "La Esmeralda" -

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3009/913216zh.th.jpg

Anna Pavlova I think. I dont read Russian - Can anyone tell me what this photo says? -

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/7249/282738po.th.jpg

I think this is Preobrajenskaya, though I am not sure -

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/2790/190849li.th.jpg

The not so lovely Marie Petipa, about to pull out a dollar from her (in the words of Pavel Gerdt) 'Luxuriant Busom' to give to the dove so it wont fly away -

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/9877/6115wf.th.jpg

Ulanova and someone I do not know in "Giselle". What gorgeous feet she has! -

Hope you all like! If I have made any errors in describing the pics please let me know!

- Solor

Edited March 20, 2006 by Solor

[chrisk217]

I am not sure who is Abderakhman in the 2nd one however

Semen Kaplan

Also, I'm not a ballet historian and maybe I'm wrong but the Pavlova photo with the wings may not be Sylphide. Trying to make out the caption (the resolution is low) I think, inside the quotation marks, I read "Giselle" (Жизель) Can you scan the postcard with a better resolution?

[bart]

Thanks, Solor. This is an exceptional collection. I especially loved the Pavlova (some family history there) and the Ulanova (her Juliet a real thrill when I was a teenager).

Query: who is this Marie Petipa, and what's the point behind her behavior in the photo?

[rg]

this marie mariusovna petipa is marius's famous (or infamous) daughter, eventually a senior character dancer at the maryinsky. (i suspect the camera angle makes the innocent 'attitide' of the free hand in front of her bodice seem a peculiar activity; i don't think her hand is actually meant to be placed inside the costume's bodice.)

other thoughts:

the Dryad queen opp. dudinskaya is, i think, m.a.trushina.

2nd photo is elena smirnova, as aurora?, not kshessinksa.

dict. entry for kurgapkina lists giselle and myrtha in her rep. not moyna or zulma, perhaps this is myrtha, or perhaps her 'soloist' roles are not listed.

zucchi is shown as padmana in Brahma, not esmeralda; Brahma was one of v.z's first showcases in st. petersburg, at one of the summer theater's, after which she was invited to dance at the maryinsky.

legnani might be shown here in Camargo.

preobrajenska may be shown as diane in the 'pas de diane' from Tsar Kandavl'

(and again in Nenuphar - with flowers and wings; the one of her in dark wig and shawl may be from some role from petipa's dances for the opera Carmen, just as the m. petipa w/ dove is likely from one of his dances for Orpheus and Euridyce.).

the lazzarini book i believe notes the winged pavlova as zulma, one of her earlier roles.

the kshessinska pair is almost certainly Talisman, legat's restaging.

the nikiya w/ soloviev's solor is kaleria fedicheva.

ulanova's albrecht is likely yuri zhadanov.

(the unknown odette would not open for assessing.)

[Dr. Coppelius]

Thanks for the wonderful photos!

I spent a few minutes in photoshop and added some colour and did a collage with some of the photos.

[rg]

forgot to note that the Esmeralda ballerina w/ tamourine, isn't shelest but, i think, inna zubkovskya (nee izraeleva) - tho' now it won't reload for double-checking.

[bart]

rg, thanks for the clarification. I knew Petipa had a dancer daughter named Marie, but was flummoxed by the description "about to pull out a dollar from her ... Luxuriant Bosom." The thought struck me that maybe there was a Black Swan also to be found in the Petipa menage.

[Solor]

rg, thanks for the clarification.  I knew Petipa had a dancer daughter named Marie, but was flummoxed by the description "about to pull out a dollar from her ... Luxuriant Bosom."  The thought struck me that maybe there was a Black Swan also to be found in the Petipa menage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the corrections RG

I assumed it was either Moyna or Zulma that Kurgapkina was photographed as because I dont think either Myrtha or Giselle have the flowers running on the diagnale down the tunic in the traditional Kirov Wilis costumes, but I may be mistaken

I couldve sworn that was Esmeralda that Zucchi was photographed as, but then Im sure she danced other roles where the main prop was a tamborine.

You were right about Nunephar RG for the 'butterfly Preobrajenskaya' photo, as there is another picture of her in the same costume in the book "The great Russian Danecrs" by Smakov.

I honestly though the photo of Elena Smirnova was Kschessinskaya (2nd from top)

nice collage Dr Coppelius! I made it my wall paper!

does anyone know who the ballerina in the 4th photo from the bottom is?

[Solor]

Does anyone know what this photo says? -

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/4754/282737hc.th.jpg

Does anyone have any info on this ballerina?

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/5535/812459oj.th.jpg

[Mel Johnson]

rg, did Legnani ever dance in the Petipa/Glazunov "Ruses d'Amour"? That's set in the Age of the Powdered Wig, too.

And Marussia could very well be reaching in there to pull out a cage for the pigeon. She was built a lot like an easy chair.

[Solor]

rg, did Legnani ever dance in the Petipa/Glazunov "Ruses d'Amour"?  That's set in the Age of the Powdered Wig, too. 

And Marussia could very well be reaching in there to pull out a cage for the pigeon.  She was built a lot like an easy chair.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL!

[vrsfanatic]

The following 2 photos - Dudinskaya in "Raymonda" (first one with Sergeyev, I am not sure who is Abderakhman in the 2nd one however) -

The photo says Kaplan. I believe it is Semyon Shlyomovich Kaplan, a distinguished dancer/teacher, born 1911, danced with Kirov from 1930s-late 1950s, 1936-the 1980s with various breaks, taught in Vaganova Academy.

Great photos...thanks!

[rg]

if by 4th foto from the bottom you mean the one of the dark-wigged preobrajenska, it is she, costumed, i believe, for one of petipa's dances for his choreography for the imp. opera production of Carmen.

the one of pavlova II, w/ the writing i can't read shows the ballerina in one of the spanish dancer roles of Carmen as well. a similar photocard in the lazzarinis' Pavlova books give this ident. in their captioning. (i suspect the writing is a continuation of the writing, from the back of the card by the original user: these were sold as postcard/sourvenirs and often come w/ the postage, addresses and stamps on the back. in some cases the writing continues onto the card's front, in this case the blank space above the back-bent pavlova seemed suitable for continuing the sender's message.

I.Guest's book on Zucchi, reproduces a very similar photo to his w/ tamourine, and indentifies it as being from Brahma.

and, yes, Legnani did debut in 1900 as 'Isabelle' in The Trials of Damis ( a remake of Ruses d'amour), so perhaps that's the answer to her photo here.

[vrsfanatic]

Does anyone know what this photo says? -

The ballerina in this photo (according to the writing) is Pavlova. I have difficulty reading Russian script sometimes. I am able to pick apart some of what is written, but not enough to say for sure. I will show it to a Russian collegue. Maybe she will know. The letter does begin...Dear Marius...I believe.

Does anyone have any info on this ballerina?

This ballerina is Bakerkina, according to what is written. St. Petersburg. She is not listed in the 1981 Russian language edition of the Ballet Encyclopedia. Again, I will ask my collegue.

[rg]

'Bakerkina, Nadezhda Alekseevna' is how the NYPL dance collection's cat. lists this dancer.

she was moscow-trained and danced at the bolshoi th from 1886 - 1896 & was then transferred to st. pete.

kshessinska's memoirs mention her as having told karsavina that the 'innocent' present of a tutu from kshessinksa to karsavina was really an insulting gift b/c the tutu's coloring - deep lilac - was really the color of 'grave clothes' and not those of young woman. kshessinska denies that her gesture was any sort of insult and casts doubt on bakerkina's gossip.

[Solor]

Does anyone know what this photo says? -

The ballerina in this photo (according to the writing) is Pavlova. I have difficulty reading Russian script sometimes. I am able to pick apart some of what is written, but not enough to say for sure. I will show it to a Russian collegue. Maybe she will know. The letter does begin...Dear Marius...I believe.

Does anyone have any info on this ballerina?

This ballerina is Bakerkina, according to what is written. St. Petersburg. She is not listed in the 1981 Russian language edition of the Ballet Encyclopedia. Again, I will ask my collegue.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dear Marius?????? Well It was given to Petipa then? I have never heard of any other men named Marius involved with the old Imperial Ballet or any other part of the ballet at the time..........

Yes RG, I have heard of this as well.....the 'grave clothes colored' tutu Kschessinskaya gave to Karsavina.....what a ruthless ole dame she was!

[Andrei]

Unfortunately the letter adressed to Marussia, not Marius. And even on the card is Pavlova, it's signed as "Yours Julia". This is an invitation to some party.

[vrsfanatic]

Thank you Andrei for the corrections! Is Marrussia a Russian name? I will go back to read the names again so I may make the corrections visually. Maybe next time I will remember the corrections you have given. Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

"Marussia" seems to have been the name most people used conversationally when speaking to, or about, Marie Mariusovna Petipa. She and Kschessinska seemed to have been in a long-running duel of who could wear more personal jewelry onstage!

[vrsfanatic]

Thank you Major Johnson!

[Andrei]

Marussia is a nick name for Maria in Russia, along with others, like Masha, Mashenka, Mashunya, Mashka and so on

[ViolinConcerto]

Thanks all of you, for the insight and images!